Unless history is your day job, you might not know Nashville is home to 150+ historical markers + over 50 state and nationally designated sites, buildings, and districts.
That’s where Nashville Sites comes in. The mobile-friendly program — funded by the Metro Historical Commission Foundation — features extensive research for over 20 free, self-guided walking tours (with more in the works).
Historical context is provided for each tour stop + is accompanied by images and narration by local historians. Just visit Nashville Sites on your phone, select a tour, and begin your journey. We’ve compiled 7 tours below to pique your interest.
ProTip: Most tours can be driven and accessed virtually at home.
Civil Rights Sit-Ins | 1.2 hours | 1 mile | 10 sites | The tour — written and narrated by Fisk University professor Linda Wynn — features stops at the Woolworth building, the Arcade, and more.
Early Black Life and Culture | 1.5 hours | 1.2 miles | 11 sites | Learn about the history of early Black life and culture in Nashville by exploring the lives of free and enslaved African Americans. Stops include Fort Nashborough, Sarah Estell’s Ice Cream Shop, and more.
East Nashville | 1.5 hours | 2 miles | 13 sites | Learn about the Great East Nashville Fire of 1916 + tour schools, churches, and a recording studio on this new tour.
Fisk University and Meharry Medical College | 2 hours | 2 miles | 21 sites | Tour historical sites + learn about notable alumni at 2 of the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the US.
Food for Thought | 1.5 hours | 1.2 miles | 13 sites | Southern food, history, and architecture intersect on this tour that begins at Hermitage Hotel and ends at Merchants Restaurant.
Hidden History and Haunts | 1.5 hours | 1.4 miles | 18 sites | Learn about hidden murals, early tenants at the Arcade, and hotel fun facts.
Seedy Side and Printers Alley | 1 hour | 1.1 miles | 10 sites | Travel back to the city’s “darker side” with stories of bootleggers, murder, and prostitution. The tour is not recommended for children.
Ready to keep exploring? Check out 20 additional walking tours
+ stay tuned for 2 new driving tours
— Athens of the South and Jefferson Street — expected to launch this fall.
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